Cover for kegs, barrels, or like containers



COVER FOR KEGS, BARRELS, OR LIKE CONTAINERS Filed April 23, 1935 W M w? &.

Patented Feb. 18, 1936 PATENT QFFHE COVER FOR KEGS BARRELS, OR LIKE CONTAINERS Robert G. Fessenden, Townsend, Mass.

Application April 23,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to heads for kegs, barrels and other like Wooden containers, and consists in improvements designed to simplify and strengthen the construction of such articles.

The invention has particular application to kegs, barrels and the like employed for the transportation and storage of liquids, semi-liquids or dry products where it is required that the head should eifectively and securely close the top of the container.

One object of the invention, among others, is to provide a head or cover which will permit its quick and ready application and its easy subsequent removal but will provide a permanently tight joint, while securely held against displacement under pressure from within as well as from without. The described construction provides a readiness of application and removal for the head or cover and a security against displacement when in place, not attainable with the type of head which is held in place by the usual croze or groove.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in 25 connection with the accompanying illustration showing one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the open top of a keg embodying one form of the invention;

, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the keg shown in Fig. 1, the upper part being shown in cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the top or cover;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the removable binding or clamping hoop;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of the edge of the cover seated in the top of the. keg before the clamping hoop has been applied thereto; and

Fig. 8 is a similar view after the application of the clamping hoop.

Referring to the drawing, the container I I, for illustrative purposes, is shown in the form of a keg formed of wooden staves, the sides of which may be united either through plain joints or (as herein shown in Fig. 1) through a tongue and groove joint. The keg has a closed bottom which is not shown but which may be held in place by the usual groove or croze, or in any other desired 5 manner, and the staves may be held together at 1935, Serial No. 17,774

or near their mid portions by one or more bands l3 as indicated in Fig. 2.

The inner walls of the container near the open top thereof, instead of having formed therein the usual croze or groove, are cut back to provide a preferably flat or square shoulder !5 extending circumferentially around the inside of the keg. This provides at the same time an enlarged, open mouth having the side walls i7 extending from the shoulder to the open top of the keg. These side walls are preferably cut substantially parallel to the outside walls of the staves. Where, as in the illustrated form of container, the upper ends of the staves have a very slight inward inclination, the side Walls of the enlarged mouth have a similar slight inward inclination.

The removable top or cover [9 (Figs. 3 and 4) is disk-like in shape but is provided with tapered or beveled side walls, the bottom being of greater diameter than the top, and the Whole forming a truncated cone of large diameter and low height. The top is provided with means which may be gripped by the hands and pulled to remove the cover, such means being in the form of a screweye or ring 2|.

When it is required to apply the cover to the keg, it is inserted in the open mouth of the keg in some such relationship as is indicated in Fig. '7, the fiat peripheral edge of the underside of the cover resting on and abutting against the fiat face of the shoulder I5 formed on the inside of the staves. The ends of the staves, being then unconfined by any outside compression, present an enlarged mouth of such size as readily to permit the insertion of the cover, leaving a certain amount of clearance between the walls I! of the staves and the tapered side walls of the cover or head.

With this relationship of the head and keg, there is then applied a compressing band 23 (Figs. 5 and 6) to the ends of the staves which encircle the cover. This comprises an annular metallic band having sides which taper inwardly and upwardly from the bottom edge, the top edge terminating in a bead 25. The diameter of this band is such that its bottom passes freely over the outside top edge of the keg, force being required to further depress it. When the band is thus applied to the keg, it is then forced down, as by hammering down on the bead 25, until it assumes some such position as is illustrated in Fig. 8.

In the process of forcing down the band the ends of the staves are wedged inwardly and compressed edgewise together, contracting the mouth of the keg about the side walls of the cover and bringing the parts into some such relation+ ship as is shown in Fig. 8.

Preferably the relationship of the parts is such that in the contraction of the walls of the keg under the compression of the band, the side walls I! first encounter the beveled lower edge of the cover. Succeeding contraction, as the compressing band is forced further down, wedges the upper parts of the staves inwardly, with the beveled cover edge serving as a fulcrum, until the side walls I! for substantially their entire area are forced into close contact with the sides of the cover.

The result is that not only is there produced an effectively tight joint at the beveled edge of the cover, but the walls I! of the staves wedged over and against the tapered walls of the cover force the bottom of the latter firmly and closely down against the seat I5 and hold it immovable thereon in a position to resist any displacement by pressure from within. The facility with which this cover may be applied greatly speeds up the packing of all commodities in kegs and barrels.

Although the cover when thus applied is held securely fixed against all possible displacement occurring in transportation or storage, when desired, the cover may be readily and easily removed without breakage or damage thereto. Its removal merely requires the forcing upwardly of the compressing band, as through the use of a hammer or other tool. As soon as the band is loosened it may be withdrawn and the cover readily lifted by the hand grip 2| and removed unbroken from the keg. Since the cover may be thus removed intact and undamaged, it may be again reapplied at any time as previously described.

While I have herein shown and described for purposes of illustration one specific embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that extensive changes and modifications may be made in the details of the form by which it is herein illustrated, all without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

A keg or the like formed of wooden staves having a flat, open, seating shoulder around the inner periphery of the container near the end thereof and presenting above said shoulder an enlarged open mouth of greater diameter than the shoulder with its inner walls substantially parallel to the Outer walls of the staves, a cover having a fiat peripheral bottom edge and inwardly and upwardly tapered side walls and of a diameter such that it may be readily entered into the open mouth of the container to be loosely seated on said seating shoulder, and a compressing band having also inwardly and upwardly tapering side walls adapted to encircle the end of said container and when forced downwardly thereover to force inwardly the inner walls of the staves first against the flat bottom edge of the cover to lock the latter to its seat the said flat bottom edge being so related to the seating shoulder as to serve as a fulcrum about which subsequent movement of the staves takes place.

ROBERT G. FESSENDEN. 

